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The number of manufacturing job openings in the U.S. rose in August, with both durable and nondurable goods manufacturers reporting higher numbers of postings, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  

What’s going on: There were 616,000 manufacturing job openings in August, up from 544,000 in July.

• In the larger economy, there were 9.61 million job openings in August, also an increase from the July number, which was 8.92 million.
• At the same time, there were approximately 66.1 unemployed workers for every 100 job openings, or significantly more openings than people looking to fill them.  

Hires, quits and separations: Manufacturers hired 402,000 workers in August and had 391,000 separations.

• Manufacturing’s net hiring (hiring minus separations) was 11,000, an improvement from July’s 10,000. The first eight months of 2023 saw essentially flat hiring in the sector.
• Quits fell in August, to 229,000 from July’s 259,000.
• August’s layoffs-and-discharges number matched that of May, at 142,000.

The NAM says: “Overall, these data continue to reflect a labor market that remains solid despite cooling over the past year, with manufacturing job openings above pre-pandemic levels,” said NAM Chief Economist Chad Moutray.

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